Nevada County picayune., 1887-11-30

ever, when tall woman, withou bonnet or cloak, and very thinly clad, suddenly rushed from some. where.
 "Oh, Bil,yw she cried, "run fol the doctor, quick; Benny's dying Find father and send him homcw
 Billy darted off without a word The woman ran up a narrow alley leaping over drifts, almost flying over the snow, and forcing me tC my utmost speed to keep her in sight. The alley extended through several blocks. She stopped foI an instant only before small house. then disappeared from view.
 When 1 arrived at the spot 1 was startled by an antagOnizing shriek-a prolonged lamentation burdened with grief and despair.- Then all was still. The half-cnr- taincd window at the end of the house afforded view of the inte. rior. It was just such wretched place as one expects to find where poverty and drink combine to deal out misery to men.
 But what a scene met my inquir- ing gaze. Across a little cot lay the inanimate form of the woman, and the light shone full upon the cause of her gtief-the marble face of the dead babe pillOwed upon her arm. On the floor in a corner, braced against the wall, sat the in toxicated head of the household, aroused into a semi-cOnsciousnesS by his wife's outcry, staring idioti- cally about him, as If endeavOring to find out where he was and what it all meant.
 Presently, the woman moved, rose slowly, kissed the cold lips, then laid the llfeless head gently upon the pillow. For a moment she stood gazing upon her dead child, then she touched the white face and tenderly adjusted the light covering.
 Now she discovered the figure in the corner. It's presence was evidently unexpected. She n- stantly drew herself up to full height while an unnatural light gleamed in her dark eyes. She stretched her hand toward the still wondering imbecile and almost shrieked:
 "Bill Benson, come here and see your work!'
 A ray of intelligence suddenly lit up the blOa,ed lace. He heard the voice of the woman he had cru ely deceived and sbamefully abused-the woman who had cringed before him for years, who had borne his brutality without resentment-but how changed!
 The old lcer fingered for all in- stant over his visage, but Oply for an instant.
 Bill Benson, do you hear me? Come and see! See!. See.!!
 The words were positively hiss ed. She waved her Outstretcbed arm in the direction of the death bed ofher child, while the now thoroughly sobered husband and father, following the mOveme ut, staggered to the opposite side of the cot.
 "Behold your work! He's dead! dead!. Do you understand! You killed him-killed-killed himw
 The frenzied woman paused a moment, while the man covered before her righteous wrath like a whipped cur.
 "Bill Benson." she went on, "for thirteen years 1 have clung to you l have worked like slave day and night to keep a home for you; and instead of ..helping me you have stolen my earnings, and spent them for drink. While you have been carousing with your lazy companions your wife and your children have gone without bread See your child there starved to death! Look at me, the woman you promised to love and cherish in rags; and Billy out this bitter night, almost naked, because you have robbed him of his money We might have been happy but for your love of drinkw
 Benson had dropped upon hi, knees and was sobbing, while he had his head in the clothes that covered the remains of his child At first defiant he gradually quail,